Clark Bell

Clark E. Bell, 99, of Idaho Falls, passed away December 23, 2011, at Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot. Our dad missed his goal of becoming 100 years old by three months and one day. Born March 24, 1912, the oldest living child of eleven born to Ephraim Bell and Sylvia Clark Bell in Oakley, Idaho, Clark was raised in Oakley and attended school there through high school. He excelled in sports, he was the captain of both the football and basketball teams and broke the State pole vault record. Clark was the student body president his senior year. He played on the city baseball team. Dad always worked hard from the time he was little. He spent his childhood in Oakley, helping his father on the farm, herding sheep and later digging basements by hand. Education was always important to him, he attended Albion State Normal, while working part time. He received his bachelor’s degree at Utah State and continued his education at the University of Idaho, where he received his Maters Degree and was only a thesis short of his Doctorate degree. Upon receiving his teaching certificate, his first teaching job was at a one-room schoolhouse in Black Pine. He taught grades 1-8 with a total of 28 students. At this school he was the teacher, custodian and hauled wood to keep the stove burning. He taught school in Samaria, Twin Falls and Malad, where he also worked at the JC Penney Store. He grew up during the Depression, so he knew how to fix things, make things last or make something out of very little. On October 27, 1935, he married Helen Wilson. They were sealed in the Salt Lake LDS Temple June 25, 1937. They were the parents of three daughters. He was the superintendent of Albion High School and White Pine School District in Troy for ten years, superintendent at Firth for four years and principal at O.E. Bell Junior High School in Idaho Falls for 14 years. He retired in 1974 after 39 years in education. Clark was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many callings. He and Helen were officiators in the Idaho Falls Temple for ten years. She died May 13, 1998. Dad and mom always had a huge garden and shared with everyone. He enjoyed gardening, canning, making quilts for the family, hunting, fishing, stamp and coin collecting, and teasing his grandchildren. The highlight of his day was to watch his grandsons play ball. He is survived by: Daughter, Kathleen(Donald) Kuper of Dallas, TX; Daughter, Myrna (Cleone ) Jolley of Firth, ID; Daughter, Gloria (Warren) Tew of Sandy, UT; Brother, Warren Bell of Burley, ID; Brother, Wesley Bell of Kent , WA; Sister, Melba Yost of Idaho Falls, ID; Sister, Arlene Richins of Trabuco Canyon, CA; 14 Grandchildren, 47 Great Grandchildren and 8 Great-Great Grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, five brothers, George Edward, Hyrum Ezra, Elwin, LaVerne and Theo and one sister, Mary Warner. Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, December 30, 2011, at the Presto LDS Ward, 792 North 1090 East, Goshen, with Bishop Boe Reynolds officiating. The family will visit with friends from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Wood Funeral Home, 273 N. Ridge, and Friday from 10 to 10:45 a.m. at the church. Burial will be in the Goshen Cemetery.